England play Spain in the UEFA Nations League on Monday, live on Sky Sports
Saturday 13 October 2018 23:44, UK
Jordan Henderson has insisted the UEFA Nations League is an important competition, despite Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently questioning its relevance.
Klopp described it as "the most senseless competition in the world of football" when asked what he thought of the Nations League ahead of the international break.
Henderson played in England's goalless draw behind closed doors in Croatia on Friday night but will miss Monday's match away to Spain - live on Sky Sports - after he picked up a booking in Rijeka.
That may please his club manager, but Henderson defended a competition that is intended to reduce the amount of meaningless friendlies played during international breaks and provide increased opportunities to qualify for major competitions.
"As a player, you want to win every game - even if it's a friendly," said Henderson. "When you're a footballer, you play to win.
"And for us, it's important because it has an effect on the groups of the Euros and the seeding. It's important for us to win, especially against big nations like Croatia and Spain.
"We want to take the next level, beating teams like that. So, it's a good challenge for us and an important challenge."
